VANCOUVER, May 2 /CNW/ – The Canadian Cancer Society has awarded more
than $4.8-million to nine cancer research projects in B.C.
The Society’s total research investment across Canada in 2007-08 is over
$47-million and includes 78 new grants. More than 500 research teams
coast-to-coast are currently receiving funds from the Canadian Cancer Society.
“Advances in research over the past few decades have transformed our
understanding of cancer,” said Cathy Adair, vice president of strategic
initiatives for the Canadian Cancer Society, B.C. and Yukon Division.
“Research has made tremendous improvements in the quality and quantity of
life for cancer patients through better treatments, new drug discoveries,
earlier detection methods, and additional insights on how to prevent and
manage cancer.
“All Canadians benefit from research, whether it takes place at the
University of Northern B.C. or McGill University in Quebec; the impact of
research knows no bounds,” she said.
Research is a cornerstone of the Society’s efforts to control cancer.
Since 1948, the Canadian Cancer Society has funded nearly $1-billion in cancer
research and achieved numerous breakthroughs, says Adair.
Based on the latest cancer statistics released in April, 60 per cent of
people diagnosed with cancer today survive, compared to 20 per cent of people
in the 1940′s and 30 per cent in the 1960′s.
However, experts anticipate a 60 per cent increase in new cancer cases
over the next two decades due primarily to our increasing and aging
population.
This year in B.C. there will be an estimated 20,600 new cases of cancer
(600 more than last year) and 9,000 deaths (200 more than last year). The
Society estimates approximately two in five Canadians will develop cancer
during their lifetime.
The Society is optimistic it can reduce the impact of cancer and other
chronic diseases through advances in research and a focus on prevention.
Last April, the Society’s B.C. and Yukon Division received $4-million
from the B.C. government to help establish a new Research Chair in Primary
Prevention of Cancer at UBC. The Chair is another investment in what the
Society believes to be the best approach to reducing the burden of cancer – to
prevent cancer from occurring in the first place.
The nine new Canadian Cancer Society-funded grants to British Columbia
researchers were selected after a rigorous national review process and
include:

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-  Dr. Hugh Brock, University of British Columbia: $369,000 over three
years. Dr. Brock's group is investigating how ribonucleic acid, or
RNA, regulates gene expression, particularly to prevent activity of a
gene that can trigger leukemia. Dr. Brock's research into RNA's
ability to turn genes on and off could provide new ways to treat
cancers with targeted drugs.

-  Dr. David Huntsman, University of British Columbia: $759,748 over five
years. Dr. Huntsman's group is working to expand the understanding of
how mutations in the E-cadherin gene lead to hereditary diffuse
gastric cancer and lobular breast cancer. Part of this study focuses
on Newfoundland, where there are twice as many cases of stomach
cancers than other parts of Canada. Dr. Huntsman's research hopes to
further develop knowledge for clinical screening and management of
cancers related to the E-cadherin gene mutation.

-  Dr. Steven Jones, B.C. Cancer Agency (Vancouver): $605,066 over five
years. Dr. Jones' team is investigating how the full repertoire of
genetic changes in breast cancer cells using leading edge "sequencing-
by-synthesis" technology. This research will help identify new ways to
inhibit the proliferation of breast tumour cells and provide models
for the development of new treatments.

-  Dr. Peter Lansdorp, B.C. Cancer Agency (Vancouver): $615,000 over five
years. Dr. Lansdorp's team is clarifying the critical role of
telomeres (the ends of chromosomes) in maintaining genetic stability,
since genetic instability can lead to cancer. These studies have the
potential to lead to new treatments or preventive strategies for
cancer.

-  Dr. Torsten Nielsen, University of British Columbia: $702,345 over
five years. Dr. Nielsen's team is applying new diagnostic tools and
drugs developed using both cell cultures and lab mice to deal with
synovial sarcoma (cancer of the muscle, fat, fibrous tissues and blood
vessels). Based on his team's previous research, these tests and drugs
will now be assessed in human cases of synovial sarcoma to prove their
clinical value and possibly lead to treatment of other closely-related
cancers.

-  Dr. Peggy Olive, B.C. Cancer Agency (Vancouver): $396,294 over three
years. Dr. Olive's team is carrying out a study to understand the role
that certain clusters of repair proteins play in determining whether
some tumours are resistant to radiation and chemotherapy. This
research will lead to new ways to identify resistant tumours and may
point to more effective treatments and better outcomes.

-  Dr. Michel Roberge, University of British Columbia: $701,028 over five
years. Dr. Roberge's team is identifying proteins and processes
involved in metastasis, the invasion by tumours into normal tissue.
Based on discovery of inhibitors derived from marine sponges, Dr.
Roberge's team will screen 40,000 pure chemicals and natural extracts
to find compounds to inhibit metastasis.

-  Dr. Ivan Sadowski, University of British Columbia: $348,630 over three
years. Dr. Sadowski's team is studying how the CDK8 protein in yeast
acts as a "volume switch" for specific genes such as STE12 to control
cell growth. Dr. Sadowski's research hopes to unravel the mechanisms
by which the CDK8 protein functions. This will allow for a better
understanding of the comparable "wiring" in human cells to develop
novel means of inhibiting uncontrolled cell growth that leads to
cancer.

-  Dr. Alan So, University of British Columbia: $309,066 over three
years. Dr. So's team is studying the effect of OGX-427, a new type of
treatment agent, on Hsp27, a "bad" cell survival protein that promotes
the development of tumours in bladder cancer. The goal of Dr. So's
research is to develop a safe, new bladder cancer treatment to improve
patient survival by reducing tumour recurrence and eliminating tumour
progression.
>>

Since 1938, the Canadian Cancer Society has operated as a national
charitable organization providing valuable cancer information services,
funding research and educating Canadians on cancer risks. In British Columbia
and the Yukon, the Society works with approximately 20,000 volunteers in over
80 communities, has funded more than $30-million in B.C.-based research since
2000, including nine new research grants in 2007/08 worth more than
$4.8 million, and recently established the Canadian Cancer Society Chair in
the Primary Prevention of Cancer at UBC. For more information, visit
www.cancer.ca, or call our toll-free, bilingual Cancer Information Service at
1-888-939-3333.